For The Foxes - The Revolution

For The Foxes – The RevolutionRelease Date: April 24, 2012
Record Label: Hopeless

These days when Hopeless Records has a new release, we better take notice. Over the past year they have set the pop/punk/rock benchmark within the scene, boasting successful releases from the likes Yellowcard, The Wonder Years, Enter Shikari, The Used, and Silverstein. So yeah, the track record speaks for itself. Hopeless' latest signing is New Jersey's For The Foxes and their first offering is the six song The Revolution. Their brand of pop/rock is styled in similar fashion to both Nate Ruess's former and current bands, as each song is rooted in the strong vocals of Nick Dungo.

The album begins with some poignant piano keys and some passionate vocals from Dungo before exploding into some pop-rock goodness. It seesaws between the two tones pretty well, kicking off the EP with a spark. But it's not until the title track pops up that you see the potential For The Foxes possess. It begins with a tantalizing guitar riff with Dungo's seductive vocals setting the pace before launching into a frenzy of a hook (you can tell guitarists Jimmy Brindley and Mikey Ballou had a lot of fun with this one). It has the energy of The Academy Is... combined with the swagger of The All American Rejects' Tyson Ritter.

I found myself bored during the middle of “Kids Too Young,” despite Cara Salimando's fine background vocals and the stellar production courtesy of Zack Odom and Kenneth Mount. The song is cut from the same cloth as every other pop-rock song trying to make it big on the top 40, lacking the attitude of the title track. Thankfully, For The Foxes regain my attention with the elegant “The River,” a stripped down ballad that displays Dungo's vulnerability, while “Easy Way” close out The Revolution in bombastic styles, as shimmering pianos keys and loud horns send the EP out on a high note.

The Jersey quintet aren't afraid to get explore different textures and genres in their pop-rock sound, unwilling to being pigeonholed into one specific style. So while the six song debut is far from perfect (some of the lyrics and musicianship are heavy on the cheese factor), For The Foxes have all the tools to become the next big thing for Hopeless.

yeah i listened to this when it dropped and i thought the same thing. i think its great for a first album, yes some things do need work, but they are going to completely take off in the future so i cant wait.